Madrid and the smell of chemical liquids in the dark room

Madrid, September 2021

On my way from Portugal to Formentera, I took the chance to do a 72-hour stop-over in Madrid, as there were no directs flights going anyway. And it´s been far too long since I had been back in the city where I spend 5 years of my life, almost two decades ago. Maybe I had not come back since because back then, I quit the city with a bitter taste in my mouth and needed a radical change. But now, strolling through the center and my old neighbourhoods, meeting up with very close old friends, I recall clearly why I actually moved there in the year 2000. Because the capital is absolutely fascinating. Madrid still is the real spanish heart of the country. Very fast speaking citizens with clear pronunciation, and an attitude of a certain sovereignty that does not require any pride which I so much appreciate. Could also be described like a coolness of the obvious. I immediately fall back into their way of talking and feel proud of being recognized as a proper Madrileña, thus my northern look.

Ivan, my spanish friend from Berlin whom I shared a flat together with a couple of years ago, has moved to Madrid very recently and lets me stay in his guest room with his fat cat he brought all along from Sao Paolo. We have such a great time together and Madrid is spectaculously attractive that I suddenly decide to come and live here for a while again. Even if it´s only for a month or two, sharing a flat with Ivan, who is planning to come and visit me in Formentera aswell.

Another travel to the past is meeting up with Alberto, whom I lived almost 3 years together with. We used to run around with our analogical Hasselblad cameras all over the place, photographing everything we found interesting enough and created our own world of photography, passion and love, accompanied by the smell of chemical liquids in the dark room. I learned a lot from him in terms of photography, from the grand master who influened a whole generation of photographers and artists , and who, not long ago, received the golden medal of honor in merit of fine arts by King Philip II of Spain.

Ivan and I fetched Alberto in the Botanical Garden next to the Prado Museum, where he was experimenting with conceptual photography in his very own way, as he was asked to participate in an art project by the Museum of Reina Sofia. Of course I brought my camera aswell. And there we were again, having lots of fun together like in the old days as if nothing has changed. I did have trouble focusing though and searched for my reading glasses, laughung about Alberto´s case when he had been using by mistake during 4 years the wrong reading glasses, as his assistant had been handed out another client´s glasses by the ophthalmologist. Afterwords, we went to have lunch together, other common friends came by and it all seemed so natural as if I never left town.

Later on, I pass by Bruno Galindo´s, my great journalist friend who just published another of his many intelligent books. He handed me over an envelope with my election papers that Joseph had sent him from Berlin because I just did not know which fix adress to give as I am constantly on the road. It is very very important to me to give my vote in the upcoming general elections in Germany and hopefully the letter will arrive on time! As I leave to the airport, Ivan promises me to take it to the post office.

Mox Habemus Chancellor